Audit would examine security at city schools

Friday

Jan 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM

TUSCALOOSA | The 20 children and six adults killed in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, has spurred Tuscaloosa City Schools Superintendent Paul McKendrick to have a security audit conducted at all city schools.

By Jamon SmithStaff Writer

TUSCALOOSA | The 20 children and six adults killed in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, has spurred Tuscaloosa City Schools Superintendent Paul McKendrick to have a security audit conducted at all city schools.After meeting with administrative leaders in the system and with Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson to discuss existing school safety measures, McKendrick said it was decided that an audit could help identify additional measures to tighten security.If approved by the board, the audit will be conducted by Executive Director of Facilities Jeff Johnson, Ellis Architects and WSV Architects. The architectural firms were chosen to examine the security of the school buildings.According to a report, some of the things the audit would look at are:- Installing locks on the inside of classrooms.- Installing panic alarms at schools that would alert safety officials and that could be activated from two locations within a school.- Updating school floor plans that show camera locations and distributing the plans to the police department.- Having remote camera access so that police could access schools cameras.- Installing remote door access with surveillance cameras at the front entrances of all school buildings.- Keeping all doors locked during the school day.- Having visitors and parents show identification before being allowed into schools buildings.- Requiring all school staff to wear ID badges.- Reviewing after-school programs.Earnestine Tucker, the board's vice chairwoman, said she doesn't want the audit to be done just as a reaction to the Sandy Hook shooting. She said she wants someone to be held responsible for all school security.Tucker also said there's some security measures now in place that need to be fixed. She said a lot of monitors at the schools don't work. There's also not enough adult males at the schools that can properly restrain intruders if need be, she said.Board member James Minyard said his concern about school security isn't the buildings. It's the playgrounds.Minyard said the school buildings can be secure as a vault, but anyone can still walk up students while they're on the playground and possibly harm them.Johnson said they'll look into outside security measure during the audit.